Introduction

Computer algorithms enable machines to learn from data. The more data an algorithm receives, the more capable the algorithm is of detecting underlying patterns within the data. In Chapter 10, Data Analytics with pandas and NumPy, you learned how to view and analyze big data with pandas and NumPy. In this chapter, we will now extend these concepts to building algorithms that learn from data.

Consider how a child learns to identify a cat. Generally speaking, a child learns by having someone point out "That's a cat," "No, that's a dog," and so on. After enough cats and non-cats have been pointed out, the child knows how to identify a cat.

Machine learning implements the same general approach. A convolutional neural network is a machine learning algorithm that distinguishes between images. Upon receiving images labeled cats and non-cats, the algorithm looks for underlying patterns within the pixels by adjusting the parameters of an equation...